LIJSL Convention to Have Something for Everyone!

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

March 4, 2013-10,000 soccer fans will flock to the Huntington Hilton on Route 110 in Melville for the 31st Annual Long Island Junior Soccer League Convention, one of the world’s largest soccer conventions.

The fun begins at 7 pm on Friday night, March 8 with the Volunteer Awards Dinner. The Volunteer of the Year from each LIJSL club will be honored. Dolores Jose of the Mineola Athletic Association, Mitch Pally of the Stony Brook Soccer Club, Bob Porter of the Cold Spring Harbor/Huntington Soccer Club and Tom Vollmuth of the East Islip Soccer Club will be inducted into the LIJSL Hall of Fame at the dinner as well.

Throughout the day on Saturday, March 9 and on Sunday morning, March 10, there will be LIJSL Sportsmanship Award presentations, meetings for club presidents, coaches and volunteers plus coaches and referee clinics as thousands of people purchase items from vendors who have come from around the world.

Some other highlights include:

Coaching "D" Course. Designed for those who will be coaching youth soccer players from 4 to 10 years of age. The LIJSL encourages those parents and coaches who are involved with soccer for the first time to take this course in order to learn the proper methodology in teaching youth players who may be exposed to soccer for the first time. Registration must be completed in advance. The Mattitck Room. Saturday, March 9, 9 am to 1 pm.

Insurance Claims: The Most Common, the Most Expensive, the Most Unexpected and How to Prevent Them. Most soccer volunteers unfortunately do not think about risk management until there’s a problem. Jim Eleftherion, the Risk Management Director of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), provides an in-depth focus on where insurance claims and costs are today, where they have been and where they are headed. Jim will provide an analysis to protect players, spectators and clubs using proper techniques to minimize costs. In the Eisenhower Room on Saturday, March 9 at 11:30 am.

College Forum. A presentation with top college coaches for high school students and their families. The forum will once again be in both English and Spanish. An all-star line-up of speakers and topics. In Salon D on Saturday, March 9 from 2:30 to 4:30 pm.

Volunteer Reception. Socialize with the coaches in your division and other LIJSL volunteers. All LIJSL volunteers are welcome. Taking place from 5 to 9 pm on Saturday, March 9 in the Savoy.

Long Island Soccer Player Hall of Fame Ceremony. The inaugural class of the Long Island Soccer Player Hall of Fame will be inducted. Chris Armas (midfielder for the Long Island Rough Riders, Los Angeles Galaxy, Chicago Fire and US National Team), Paul LeSueur (former Cosmos player who also won several national amateur championships), Shep Messing (goalkeeper for the New York Cosmos, Arrows and US National Team) and Kim Wyant (first-ever goalkeeper for the US Women’s National Team who went on to serve the Long Island Lady Riders as keeper, coach and General Manager) are being honored. Dinner in Salon D on Saturday, March 9 at 7 pm.

CPR and AED Training Course. Long Island Care Group, Inc. is conducting a CPR and AED (Automated External Defibrillator) training course for both adult and children. Upon completion, the participants will be American Red Cross-certified. In the Mattituck Room and is open to any adult at a cost of $50. Sunday, March 10, 10 am to 1 pm.

TOPSoccer Special Children’s Meeting. Volunteers from the 19 LIJSL clubs with Special Children’s Programs will be meeting in Executive Room 2 at noon on Sunday, March 10 to discuss the opening season.

Soccer Equipment for Syrian Refugees. The LIJSL is collecting used cleats, balls and team uniforms to benefit the children of Syrian Refugee Camps. Collections will take place in the Hargraves Room on Saturday, March 9 from 9 am to 4 pm and on Sunday, March 10 from 9 am to 1 pm.

Admission to the 31st Annual LIJSL Convention on Saturday and Sunday is free and the entire schedule of exciting events is attached. The convention is sponsored by adidas, Eurosport and Modell’s Sporting Goods.

With 1,502 travel and premier teams, the LIJSL is the largest soccer league in ENYYSA. The LIJSL Spring Season begins the next weekend, March 16 and 17, with the opening round of the Long Island Cup and those 1,502 LIJSL teams will play an amazing total of 10,514 games this spring.

For more information, please contact the league at 631-648-9020.

With 123,843 youth soccer players––68,587 boys and 55,256 girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with 12 leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Special Children. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and United States Youth Soccer Association. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.